Each year, over 10 million tonnes of food is thrown away and food after best-used date is one of the biggest parts of them. So how people feel about the food after best-used date and what will they do to them?
The waste reduction charity Wrap has found that 30% of the food has been thrown away for passing the best-used date even though it’s not expire, which adds more pressure on food waste problem.
However, as the date already there on food package, people just can’t ignore it and they each have an idea about it.
When asking the public whether they will eat food after best-used date, some people are in the camp that best-used date only serves as a suggestion for them to make decisions while others answered with a quick ”no”.
Olivia Fowler, 23, Senior in Claims Department
“Yeah, I literally will eat everything one or two days after the best-used date, I usually just smell the food before I eat them. If they don’t smell good, I just throw them away. Otherwise, if it looks like ok, I will use it.”
Kim Roman, 26, Barista
“No, I don’t eat them after the best-used date, especially vegetables because they have been there for a while and bacterial grows everywhere, even in the refrigerator as you store all the different kinds of things in it. So I don’t think they do any good to my health.”
Hannah Seabourne, 23, Admin Assistant
“I don’t normally, just in case. Maybe try crisps sometimes but nothing like yogurt, milk or meat. I am worried that if they will make me ill. I think if they both have expire date and best-used date, maybe more people would eat after the best used date, but now we only get the latter.”
Trevor Mustard, 56, Chartered Structural Engineer
“Yes, normally I will eat it maybe three or four days after the best-used date as long as it looks good, even after expire date. But it depends on what it is, for example five or four days is not usual for milk, or something like that. For meat, sometimes I just put it in the freezer and it keeps much longer.”
Robin Cattle, 37, Team Manger
“Absolutely not, I am concerned about the quality, it will make me sick as I’m very fussy about food so I never eat them after best-used date. If there is no date, I just keep it going to see if it’s good to eat. But if they put a date on it, I’ll never eat it after the date.”
Wayne Rainer, 48, Electrical Engineer
“Yeah, pretty much. Most time I keep it for two more days. Because it depends on how it is been kept, transported, stored and I think I do well in that. For meat and fruit, I will be more careful, but rather than wasting it.”